The Lost
by beyondjudgement
Summary: Ulquiorra Cifer is back. The once Espada male is now a mystery to Orihime and her circle of friends. He is not human, he is not an arrancar, and he is not a soul reaper. So what exactly is he? Caught with amnesia, Orihime is forced to face the demons she thought she'd out run when leaving Las Noches, and forced to help Ulquiorra regain his lost memories.
1. Chapter 1

**I've been far too obsessed with this ship more so than normal recently, and so I decided I'd start on a fanfic of a what if scenario, trying to keep some canon storlines in place while also adjusting certain events to my person preference. The story takes place after Aizen's fall. I hope it's well liked and reviewed (as reviews are what encourage me to write more). Without further ado-**

 **Chapter One**

Time had seemed relatively slow in her time within the walls of Las Noches. With nothing to do but ponder what if scenarios and pray for the safety of her friends, time seemed to move slowly. It was as if someone had a remote controller to her life, and set life to move in slow motion. At least, that's what time had been like before Ichigo had taken down Aizen and the world had changed once more around her.

Now she stood in the classroom, grey hues turning through the students she'd nearly forgotten the faces to. It was weird seeing familiar faces of her peers, yet feeling so withdrawn from them all after she'd been taken hostage to Hueco Mundo.

However, they hadn't forgotten her. Quite the contrary. They were all very enthusiastic to her return, chattering filling her ears with their high enthusiasm.

"I hear you went on a vacation! I can't believe you didn't tell any of us you would be leaving for so long. How was your trip?"

"Did you meet anyone interesting?"

"Did my precious Hime fall in looooove~?"

Questions continued to roll out of curious peers. Orihime felt flustered, not knowing how to answer any of their questions. Fortunately for her, luck was on her side, and that luck was named Tatsuki.

"Come on guys, sh got back. Give her some space to breath. After all, she has so much homework to catch up on, and she doesn't need any of you badgering about her trip. When she's ready to share, she'll share." Dark concerned hues belonging to the black haired woman turned sharply towards Orihime, a single hand clasping to the females arm, tugging her towards a seat in the classroom.

It was almost as if nothing had ever happened.

But the fact of the matter was that something _did_ happen, and there was no changing that, not that she'd ever want to. Despite the negativity that came from her time in Las Noches, she felt as if she had returned a different person. She'd undergone stress she never thought was possible before. She'd witnessed death upclose, and to this day she still wasn't sure how she was supposed to handle it. It still swarmed her once peaceful dreams at night, reminding her that a man before her very eyes turned to dust, with nothing of a goodbye. He asked a simple question, a question she'd never forget.

" _Are you afraid?"_

What did that exactly refer to?

Was she afraid of life? Afraid she would do? Was she afraid life would never be the same? Was she afraid a valuable person in her life would be lost? Was she afraid of _him?_ Or… was she afraid of losing him?

"Earth to Orihime." A single hand waved before the young woman's face, pulling her back from her thoughts, turning her attention back to Tatsuki. A smile lit up her face, offering a soft laugh. "Sorry, I was daydreaming again, Tatsuki!"

"That's odd. Usually when Ichigo comes in, you greet him," Tatsuki mused. The male was in a small circle of Keigo, Chad, and Mizuiro. She shrugged her shoulders, "Well, he's with his friends. I don't want to interrupt them."

It was a small lie, but at the same time, it held some form of honesty. Ichigo wasn't the same person that he had been before. His Soul Reaper abilities were long gone. He was just a normal teenage boy attending school. The only reminder that his past ever existed with Soul Society was the memories that he held tight to. This was what he wanted though, right? To live a normal life? Or did he simply give it up for the sake of defeating Aizen.

She wouldn't bother voicing that question. It didn't matter.

She wasn't a normal teenage girl, and Ichigo Kurosaki was a normal teenage boy. There was a rift that had developed between the two. Of course, she still loved the other dearly, but since the defeat… Ichigo was different, much like Orihime was. She had witnessed a side of him that made her afraid. Seeing his hollow eyes… And seeing him dead was the worst of all. She was powerless and unable to do anything about his death.

Was she afraid?

Before she even had time to contemplate her question, or even register what Tatsuki had continued saying to Orihime, the bell to the class rang. Student's settled into their seats. Ichigo moved swiftly towards his seat, giving a quick nod towards Orihime, "Yo, Orihime, I need to see you after school."

A rare thing for Ichigo to request her company. But if he was requesting it, that must have meant something was up.

Compared to her life in Hueco Mundo, time here seemed to fly by all too quickly. One class led to another which led to lunch, and then led to the remaining of the school day. She tried her best to keep up with the classes, but her time away proved that she had quite some catching up to do. Each teacher gave her the assignments she had missed while away and offered her after school help if necessary. Finally, they suggested that she and her friends get a tutor to catch up on their work. However, of course, Orihime had a few extra days missing versus her friends. It might have been nice if they all worked together, but something told her that'd be more of a waste than anything. Besides, she doubted that Ichigo wanted to be around those that would remind him of his missing female companion, Rukia.

She stifled her sigh at that thought, but made no move to request studying with others. She'd probably be better off alone. She could get more done if she worked alone.

As the final bell rang, signaling the release of the students, Orihime made way for her locker, watching for Ichigo to appear, in which he did. He offered a small, warm smile to the shorter female. "You have some spare time?" He questioned, slugging his bag over a single shoulder.

"M'hm," she nodded. "What's up?"

"Well... " He began, almost seeming unsure of himself. She could see the confliction in his eyes before scratching the back of his head. If anything, he seemed reluctant to share with her whatever it was. "Perhaps it's just better if you see for yourself. Maybe Kisuke can give you better insight on the matter. I'm not quite sure _how_ to explain it to you."

They were going to see Urahara? That was odd. She expected Ichigo would have already cut his ties with the male. But perhaps Ichigo wasn't ready to be a normal teenage boy quite yet. It surely had some adjusting to do.

"Will others be joining us?" She questioned.

He gave a single nod, "They'll be meeting us at the shop. I wanted to walk with you alone. Y'know, see how you're doing and what not."

It seemed slightly out of character for him to blurt it out the way he had, but it came as no shock to her. Everyone viewed the female as weak and as if she couldn't handle her own battles. She decided not to argue against it and just take it as she would.

The walk to the shop was simple enough. They knew the area far too well. They chit chatted about the missing homework and how life felt almost strange to be returning to their normal school life as students and that their biggest concern was catching up with homework. The mood was light an easy, as it always was when it came to Ichigo. It was always so easy. Even with the grumpy look permanent on his face, she still found herself at ease, chuckling at comments here and there. Their conversation never delved deeper than him simply asking how she was readjusting to life back home.

The walk had been nice and so did chatting with Ichigo. Although he had never exactly been dismissive towards the female, he never really went out of his way either to converse with her. Of course, it had been his idea to go to Hueco Mundo after her. He refused to believe that she was a traitor. But others had insinuated that the real reason he had gone was because he wanted to battle, not because he wanted to save her. A part of her had dismissed that far too quickly, figuring they were just trying to manipulate her. But now, the thoughts returned momentary, questioning if that had been the true purpose of Ichigo having gone to rescue her.

Without giving it a second thought, telling herself she was being ridiculous, and obviously a horrible friend for even questioning his motive, they arrived at the small shop. Urara in the front of the shop opened the doors, welcoming the duo within its confines. "Kisuke is in the back with Uryu and Chad already." She explained quietly. Before even muttering their thanks, she was back to sweeping the front of the shop.

There was a strange aura that Orihime felt after entering the building. It felt partly dangerous, and partly nostalgic. She didn't know what exactly to expect.

"Wait here." Ichigo said before she continued passed the back door. He gave a quick knock before walking into a room, leaving Orihime behind in the hallway to imagine the worst. Perhaps they had found some robotic dog that needed someone to give maintenance to it (hence why they'd be at Urahara's place) and they wanted Orihime to adopt the young pup. However, life wasn't that rewarding for her.

A creaking sound registered as the door opening, and the blonde male stepping out, fan covering his eyes, giving a soft chuckle. "Orihime Inoue, it's splendid to see you again. I'm glad to see you all in one piece."

She gave a smile towards the shop owner. She felt something close to nervous- But what did she have to be nervous about? She supposed she felt some anxiousness because she was out of the loop with whatever was going on. She could hear yells behind the door, "We should just kill him!"

"I don't know, Ichigo. He's different."

"I don't give a damn. And dragging Orihime into this? That's the worst possible thing!"

The yells between Uryu and Ichigo only grew louder in sound, alarming the female that _something_ was most definitely going on, and she had to find out what it was.

"Now, now, why don't we go somewhere else more private and quiet?" Kisuke offered, holding out an arm, suggesting she walked in the direction he was pointing. A pout planted over her lips. She figured it would have been easier to just step into the room and see what was going on, but instead, he insisted on speaking privately with her, for whatever reason.

And so, without arguing, she did as he proposed and walked towards a different room, feet nearly dragging her there. She was beyond curious at this point and it was gnawing at her brain. She couldn't register what was happening and she had to know right this moment. Her children inquisitive behavior made it difficult to go to the room rather than moving past Kisuke and marching into the room immediately.

"No worries, you'll know everything soon enough."

As if he could read her mind and register how uneasy she felt about the situation. As they walked away with soft clitter clatter of his sandals, she could hear the uproar continue behind the door. It only seemed to increase. The further they stepped away, however, the less they heard. One word however struck her- arrancar.

Finally entering the quiet room, Kisuke hot on her trail, he took his seat, a soft chuckle of the curious look upon her face. Her eyes were widened large, lips parted in confusion and prepared to throw a million questions at him.

"Kisuke- why did they mention-?"

"Orihime," He interupted, giving a soft chuckle. "Do you remember anything about how you got your abilities?"

The question threw her off. Her brows furrowed in confusion. His face remained the same; patient and waiting.

"Of course. The hogyoku gave them to me."

"Correct'o!" He explained, clapping his hands together. "Now tell me, do you believe in the powers it contains?"

"I suppose I don't have much of a choice but to believe.." She responded, fingertips tracing the outline of her hairpins. The answer seemed to appease him, because he nodded curtly, mouthing the words, 'Right'.

"What's this all about?" She questioned him, her patience never having always been the best.

"Well, do you believe in second chances?"

"Second.. Chances?" Now she was extremely confused, and what did second chances have to do with the hogyoku?"

He gave another laugh, the expression crossing her face nothing less than comical. Of course she was confused. He was giving question after question, but no explanation behind them whatsoever.

"The hogyoku is able to grant a person's most wanted desire," He explained, placing the fan on the table, and pushing his hat further up his face so he could make eye contact with her.

"Right." She replied. She was keeping up so far.

"Well, what if a the hogyoku were able to grant a person more than one wish, per say? What if it could read the person's heart and know what they wanted most, and perhaps grant them that desire. I'm not quite sure myself of this hypothesis, but it seems plausible. So, let's see it gives an innocent heart multiple things. What would you think of that?"

"Honestly?" She spoke, going into thought for a moment before really answering the question. "I'm not quite sure. I mean, you're more familiar with the hogyoku than I am. But either way, the hogyoku is gone now, so it's not as though it could grant wishes or desires anymore. That would be impossible."

"What if, so to say," he continued, offering a lot of 'what if' scenarios in this short conversation, "before it's disappearance, the hogyoku offered one last desire to one single person whose desire was stronger than any other.

"I wouldn't know anything of it." She knew nothing of the sort. She hardly even understood the hogyoku, much less what if concepts that Kisuke seemed to have revolving around the certain object. It was no longer an item of existence in this world, so any what if scenario shouldn't exist.

"Orihime, what if I were to tell you that someone that was once dead is no longer dead?"

She stood, eyes wide in complete shock. Was he teasing her? He did like to tease. But the question that lingered even more was the _who_ rather than _what._ Who was alive again?

The first thought that crossed her mind was Sora. He had been away for so long, but if he had returned, why would anyone keep it a secret from her? Furthermore, why would he be here at the shop over any other place?

She gave a deep frown, pondering at her thoughts. There was so many possibilities. But perhaps this was another 'what if' scenario he was saying, as if suggesting the hogyoku still was an item that existed in this world, and he wanted to turn his hypothesis into a thesis.

"Perhaps it would be easier to understand if you were to see for yourself rather than for me to be asking questions that you don't fully understand."

She was stumbled by his suggestion. Why hadn't they just done that from the get go?

She nodded, quickly moving to the doorway, and making way for the room where the yells were no longer occurring. However, it was soft spoken words from the other side of the door. Her fingers itched to touch the door and open it, but something made her stop. It was that feeling again. That feeling that something bad was going to happen. If she were to open the door, everything she knew would change once more and there would be no turning back.

"It's okay, Orihime." The reassurance from Kisuke seemed to be all she needed to encourage her to open the door. Slowly, she opened the wooden door, and progressed to move into the room, Kisuke right behind her, watching her carefully to see how she would respond to what was going on in the room.

Before her, she recognized her friends, Ichigo, Chad, and Uryu. They all turned to look towards her, Uryu's and Ichigo's angry faces softening up as their eyes fell upon her face of confusion.

"Uhm..," she began to speak, before looking around the room. In the middle of the room was a table with cups of still steaming tea sat. Around the table were the familiar faces of those she knew as her friends. Ichigo had Uryu's shirt in a fist, about ready to punch the glasses right off of his face. But as Orihime looked around the room, Ichigo released his hostage and inhaled sharply, as if some form of fear stepped on his heart.

"Orihime-," Uryu began before quieting down.

Under the cups of tea was a single dining mat of red and green, somehow matching the theme of the shop. As her gray eyes continued to search the room, the finally stopped on someone sitting quietly at the table, eyes closed, as if uninterested in the situation at hand.

His skin held a more human like hue than it once had, but was still pale in comparison to her own. And in contrast to the pale color, his hair was a dark, silky ebony framing his perfectly sculpted face. The frame of his body was still skinny, yet she knew better than to question his capabilities and strength. He was a very strong male. Still, perhaps it wasn't who she assumed it was. Maybe it was someone else that held a striking resemblance. There was no hollow hole in his chest where it once had been, and there was no remnants of a hollow mask shielding his head.

"Is that…" Could it _possibly_ be, "... Ulquiorra?"

The question hung in the air. The atmosphere seemed to have changed drastically. She felt a lump form in her chest just from looking at him. No wonder the others were in such an uproar. Before them was one of Aizen's highest ranking Espada's in his army, and one of his most trusted, loyal beings.

And yet he seemed different.

Her lips pursed tightly together, waiting for the male to respond. He did no such thing. He didn't answer to his name being spoken by the gentle healer. Instead, his lashes flickered before finally opening, bright green pools staring towards her, as if seeing right through her.

It was, without a single doubt in her mind, the man that had held her hostage for so long. It was the male that had taken her from her home, and taken her to the odd world of Hueco Mundo. He was the one that had induced so much mental trauma and questioning of her own existence.

Why? Why was _he_ here?

He was supposed to be dead. She had SEEN him die before her very eyes. She could still recall the feel of dust and ashes in her fingertips as his dark hues watched her, almost curiously. And yet, now here he sat before her. Although, his appearance was different, it was still him.

"Is he in a gigai?"

That was her first thought on the large change towards the male before her. She didn't sense any spiritual pressure in him.

"No.. He appeared looking just as he is before us. I'm not sure what he is, to be quite frank," Kisuke explained. "You see, he's not a soul, he's not an arrancar, and yet I don't think he's human either. He's something else. Something we've never stumbled across before."

She could feel darkness looming over her as he said these words. No one knew what he was or why he was here?

"So, for now, I'm just considering him as Lost."

"Lost?", Orihime, Ichigo, and Uryu all questioned simultaneously.

"What better word to define his situation?" Kisuke questioned, chuckling under his breath. "He doesn't seem to have any recollection of his past, either."

"No. memories?" Ichigo asked. "How the hell is that even possible?!"

"Your guess is as good as mine. But for now, I will continue to investigate it. If you guys come across any information, please, let me know."

A sigh came from across the table, pulling them all from their questions and confusion, turning to face the black haired male. "What the hell do you want?" Ichigo demanded. He was cold and hard on Ulquiorra, despite Ulquiorra holding no memories whatsoever of his past. But that wasn't too much of a surprise, after everything they had been through. Orihime wouldn't expect anything less from Ichigo.

"I have business to attend," Ulquiorra's voice broke through, confusing them even more so.

"What the hell-" Ichigo began, shaking his head violently.

"Business?" Uryu questioned the male, raising a single brow in his direction.

"Must I repeat myself?" Ulquorra questioned, a hint of annoyance lingering in his tone."I have paperwork to fill out."

Paperwork?

"Uhm.. excuse me." Orihime began, looking towards her friends before looking back at Ulquiorra. "You said you have paper work. I was wondering, what is your paper work for?"

"If you must know, woman," Ulquiorra began, "I am enrolling for school."

Every person in the room seemed to have been shot with a stupid bullet because each of them held a puzzled look on their face.

"Indeed, that's correct!" Kisuke replied loudly, clapping his fan shut. "I suggested that for the time being, he enrolled in Kurakara High until we can figure out exactly what is going on. In the mean time, he will be a normal student with amnesia, and we will all keep an eye on him to try and figure out the matters. So until then, just act as if everything is normal, okay?"

"Like _HELL_!" Ichigo's voice seemed to roar in anger. "First he kidnaps Orihime, then he KILLS me, and now you expect us-"

"Ichigo…" Orihime spoke softly, under her breath. She could understand where he was coming from. In fact, the situation seemed beyond odd to her and she wasn't quite sure how to respond herself. But anger and violence wouldn't get them anywhere. "For now, maybe it's best that we do as Kisuke suggests."

The single voice of reasoning. Odd that it was coming from her, of all people.

"Wonderful! So, if you're on board, I have one more suggestion, if I may~" Kisuke offered up towards them.

"Haven't you offered enough already," Uryu questioned the man, clearly growing weary of the afternoon's event.

"Let's hear him out." A voice said, reminding them all that Chad was still in the room and listening intently on what was going on. No one seemed to argue with Chad. They all quieted down, and waited to hear what other brilliant ideas Kisuke had in mind for them.

"Orihime and Ulquiorra had spent the most time together during… well.. The situation. So I suggest he stays with her for the time being."

Before anyone had time to object, he cleared his throat loudly, and added, "If anything can bring back memories, perhaps it would be there time spent together. I wouldn't suggest this if I thought Orihime would be in any danger. However, I fully believe that Orihime will be perfectly safe."

"No." Ichigo spoke all too quickly. "He's done enough to her already."

"Ichigo," Uryu spoke, "I'm not too fond of the idea myself, however, he has a valid point. Perhaps Orihime is the only one that can spark any memory in him. They did spend a lot of time together. We don't know everything that transpired between the two while Orihime was a prisoner. So it may work. And if it doesn't work, you can kick our asses then."

It was beyond clear that Ichigo was not on board with this. However, he also seemed too tired at this point to even argue anymore. With a defeated sigh, he spoke to Orihime, "If he does anything to hurt you, let us know immediately. Got it?"

She nodded slowly, still taking in the circumstance.

Ichigo then turned towards Ulquiorra, adding, "If you do anything to hurt her, I swear to god-"

"I have no intentions of doing anything other than attending school." Ulquiorra spoke calmly and evenly towards Ichigo.

She couldn't even imagine how Ulquiorra was handling the situation. How would anyone handle having amnesia? This wasn't exactly something a person dealt with every day. Did they really have any other option than to go along with what Kisuke had suggested?

The conversation finally coming to a closure, they all decided to head off. Ichigo and Uryu both deciding they would walk Orihime and Ulquiorra back home before heading to their own places.

If she thought time had been slow before in Hueco Mundo, time seemed to last an eternity with their walk back to her apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

**Although no reviews yet (and my update was rather quick)** **I still hope to hear from readers. I hope you are all enjoying my odd idea and story. I'm sorry if any word usage seems repetitive. It's been some time since I've actually sat down to write anything. And to be quite honest, I don't have much of an outline on what is going to happen per chapter. It's kind of a day to day process on what I want to write. However, I do have ideas on where I want it to go, so I will be sure to lead it into that direction. Be sure to review and share with friends!**

Chapter Two

Walking beside her on the _very_ silent walk home was Ichigo, Uryu, and for some unknown reason, Ulquiorra. He seemed to follow along without any argument, which seemed the most odd. He was going along with whatever he was told to do by Kisuke. She wasn't sure what Kisuke had told Ulquiorra to make him willing to go along with it, but she definitely wanted to know.

The entire walk, she could feel Ichigo and Uryu glaring towards Ulquiorra. But besides that, she could sense their worry, as if she couldn't take care of herself. Ulquiorra was not a threat, as far as she knew. He was… Lost, whatever that meant. Was he a soul that manifested itself so everyone could interact and talk to? Perhaps he was human and they just didn't understand how he became human. But an arrancar was is made up from all the soul's that devoured one another and the most dominant one surfaced, she thought. But she could be wrong. She didn't exactly understand the process. But she did want to understand why Ulquiorra was here and how he got here. Was this Aizen's work as well? Was this just a game he was playing from behind the scenes and no one knew about it? That seems like a likely cause, but if that was the case, did that mean the war still wasn't over? Everything seemed realistic… She didn't understand what Aizen was fully capable of, so she mentally noted that idea as something they could further investigate.

Either way, it had her befuddled that Ulquiorra was even here in the first place, walking beside them. Perhaps what Kisuke had suggested about the hyogokyu was something relevant in this situation, not that it entirely mattered.

Finally, after an eternity of walking, the young female and her escorts stepped in front of her apartment.

"Do you want me to stay with you tonight, Orihime?" Uryu voice his question, clear concern in his tone. He did not like the idea of their former enemy and her once captive staying at her apartment alone with her. Even as he spoke the words, she could sense that he didn't feel comfortable staying around Ulquiorra either. Ulquiorra had broken Uryu's arm while fighting him, just to prove Orihime had no means of escaping from Las Noches. He had toyed with Uryu. That memory was probably still lodged in the back of his mind. Ulquiorra was still seen as an enemy by the two males.

She slowly shaked her head, offering a false smile. "No, I think I'll be okay. He has his paperwork to fill out and I'm going to just work on catching up. Thank you, Uryu!"

She held the charm in her voice she always had, with an upbeat attitude despite how sullen she suddenly felt. She would be alone, once more, with her previous captor. She didn't really know what to make of it. But, she supposed, in this very situation, he would be her guest, under Kisuke's suggestion. So she'd do her best to make him comfortable and feel at home. Did he even know what home felt like?

She doubted it.

"Ulquiorra, if you do so much as to harm even a single hair on her head.. If you do anything to upset her," Ichigo began, teeth seething towards the stoic male.

Ulquiorra turned his attention towards Ichigo, a blank look holding onto his expression. The threat didn't faze him in the slightest. "You worry for no reason. The woman is of no concern to me."

"Tch." Ichigo was clearly still very irritated, and seemed like he had more to say, but before he had the chance. Orihime quickly spoke up, trying to calm them down.

"It will be okay Ichigo, really!" Orihime tried her best to calm down her friends, not wanting them to worry any more than they already were. "I'm sure everything will be resolved quickly and in no time at all. Kisuke is brilliant, after all!" Her optimistic attitude must have helped because the other two males relaxed a little. They gave each other a single glance before looking back at her, giving a smile.

"Alright, Orihime. If you need anything just call one of us, okay?" Uryu seemed to be the most calm of the two, understanding that Ulquiorra had no reason to do anything to harm her.

"Have a good night," she spoke enthusiastically, waving a hand towards her friends, bidding them a farewell, until tomorrow.

And with that, the two men left without further arguing, giving a fleeting, quick wave towards her and a final glance before going their separate ways. They must have been rather exhausted because neither of them picked a fight with each other while separating.

Her wave finally ended, feeling some tension leave the air before turning around and reaching under her place mat to grab the key to the apartment. It was quick and easy to unlock the door before she took they key inside with her, hanging it on a coat rack. She always kept a key under her mat, knowing very well if she took it anywhere else with her, she'd lose the key. It had only happened seventeen times, after all. She got tired of making new keys and finally settled on finding a place to hide the key at her home instead of carrying it around.

She could feel the strain of the day really hitting her hard now, knowing she was completely alone with the former Espada member.. He didn't seem concerned the least bit however. His eyes moved across the room, as if seeing it for the first time (which technically he was). He took in his surroundings before his eyes fell onto the young orange haired female.

"Are you hungry?" She herself was pretty hungry after the long afternoon at Kisuke's. More time had passed by than she expected. She also still had so much homework to work on. The sooner she caught up, the sooner she'd understand what was going on in class.

"No." His response was quick and immediate. She didn't even have a chance to think before he responded. She turned her head slightly to the side, confused, but didn't say much towards it. She assumed he had ate at Kisuke's and was still full from the meal. Maybe he didn't need to eat. It wasn't like she ever saw arrancars eat. It wasn't a necessity for them. They fed on souls. So what did that mean for Ulquiorra? Did he still eat on souls?

Setting her school bag on a seat in front of the dining table, she moved into the kitchen, moving through cabinets and pulling out ingredients and bowls to cook up something quick and easy. It would be nice to munch on some food while doing her homework. While doing so, Ulquiorra could work on his paperwork as well to enroll in school.

It would be weird, seeing him at her school. She was so familiar with him in his uniform he wore in Las Noches that seeing him in anything else would be peculiar.

While moving around in her home to grab ingredients she thought about the bed she'd have to make for him. Orihime didn't have any spare rooms in her apartment. She was used to Tatsuki staying over night but that was it, and they both usually shared Orihime's bed or fell asleep on the floor with blankets and pillows. Hopefully Ulquiorra wouldn't mind. Of course, there were times that's Rangiku and Toshiro had stayed with her, but they usually took care of themselves rather than Orihime making beds for them. In fact, Rangiku usally slept in the bed with Orihime and as for Toshiro, his arrangements had always been a mystery to her.

While stirring the pot on the stove, she questioned towards him, "Would you be okay if I set up a makeshift bed for you in the living room?"

"It will be sufficient enough."

She turned her attention towards him to see what he was doing. He was already at the table, working on his enrollment papers. Which made sense, he didn't really have anything else to do right now.

The silence in the room was almost deafening to the point that she part near forgot she wasn't alone. Orihime was falling into a comfortable routine of cooking, adding hints of honey and mustard to the soup she was drowning her efforts into. It wasn't long before she finished making the soup and had it set at the dinner table for herself, homework sprawled out on the table by subject, and was jotting away at the assignments while trying to read the book and eat her food without spilling any on her homework assignments (unsuccessfully).

Across the table from her, jotting down on the enrollment papers was the only reminder she had that she was not alone. The sound of his utensil sliding across the papers was gentle and put her into a comfortable lull while continuing her own work.

It was when he set his pen down that she was pulled from her trance. She glanced up towards the other, surprised once more that of all people, Ulquiorra sat before her silently, eyes watching her intently.

"Uhm.."

"What is it, woman?" His voice was cold and calm as it had always been, those piercing eyes staring straight at her, making her somewhat uncomfortable. Those very same eyes had watched her many times before, studying her and making sure she was perfectly healthy for Lord Aizen.

"Do you really have no memories at all," she asked. She'd been meaning to ask for a while, but always found herself shutting up immediately. If he had remembered, he definitely wouldn't be here with her right now.

"I do not recall anything," he retorted, showing no signs of interest on conversing.

"Well… what do you remember? I mean, since today?"

"Yesterday, I was standing on a street in front of that hat owner's shop. I do not know how I got there. I just was."

So it was as simple as that? He was just there, and that's all he knew. He didn't know why he was there or how he got there.

"Do you intend to interrogate me all night?"

Ulquiorra must have recognized the confusion on her face, because a single hand lifted, a slender finger pointing towards the single clock in the dining room. Her eyes followed the outstretched hand, falling on the clock that showed it was fifteen minutes past nine. "Oh, no!"

They had to get up early in the morning so Ulquiorra could turn in his enrollment papers. She still had to clean the kitchen up and set up his makeshift bed. "I'm so sorry, I must have lost track of time!"

She was quickly standing up, clumsily stashing her completed homework into her book bag and running into the kitchen to put the left overs away as well as clean the dishes and stove top properly.

"Woman, where are extra blankets?"

"Huh? They're in the closet, why-" She began, turning to face him and watching him make way for the closet nearest to the bathroom.

"I will make my own bed."

"No, no, you don't have to do that!" Her words were rushed, feeling like a terrible host at the moment. He didn't eat and she still hadn't made his bed for him. "I can make the bed, don't worry."

"I am perfectly capable of making the bed myself, woman."

She was taken aback, needless to say. Despite not having any memories, he was still as cold and distant as ever. She still felt inferior next to him. If the hyogyoku read someone's most wanted desire and gave Ulquiorra a second chance, why did it give the second chance? To her it seemed that no one particularly wanted him here and he seemed to have no understanding of why he was here, either. She decided it was best not to fight against him on this and let him make his own bed. While he did so, it would give her enough time to clean the kitchen.

' _Are you afraid?'_

The words echoed in her ears, a small frown forming on her lips. She wasn't afraid. Hell, why was she even thinking of that moment now? It no longer mattered. Ulquiorra was here, well, and alive. There was no sense in questioning every little detail about her stay in Hueco Mundo, nor in questioning why he was here. She had to get ready for bed and have everything ready for tomorrow so they would make it to school on time.

It didn't take Ulquiorra long to grab blankets suitable for him, as well as a pillow, and create a bed for himself to sleep on on top of the couch. As he did so, Orihime returned to her cleaning process, making sure there wasn't a crumb left on the stove or in the sink. Every thing was spotless by the time she completed the cleaning task and was able to return to the dining room table where her school belongings were.

"Hey, Ulquiorra.."

"Hn?"

"What are your thoughts on all of this? I mean, you're staying with someone you don't remember, and you don't remember anything from the past. Do you have any thoughts on it? Don't you find it odd you're staying with someone you don't know and to do whatever Kisuke says to do?"

Her rambles of questions came flying out at top speed. She was an inquisitive person, and very persistent on trying to push for any form of information.

"No."

She waited for more of an answer, but nothing else came from him. She gave a soft sigh of defeat, knowing tomorrow would be another day of questions for him, most likely from Ichigo and Uryu, and perhaps even herself. She wasn't one who easily gave up, after all.

"Well then, I guess for now, we'll just go to sleep. If you need anything, you are welcome to help yourself. Uhm. I guess you already know where the kitchen is," she began to speak, more so to herself than to him. "The bathroom is next to the closet where you got the blankets. My room is right across the hall from the bathroom. If you need anything, you can wake me up and let me know," she explained. She was trying to make him as comfortable as she could but she took it he didn't really care about that. The whole situation was uncomfortable for her and most likely him as well.

When no answer came from him, she took that as her sign to leave him be. Tomorrow would be a new day. A day where they could talk more, and perhaps find some answers as to what was going on. After school, she'd go back to Kisuke's shop and see if he found anything out yet. But until then, there was no sense trying to rattle her brain and find answers that probably weren't realistic.

She gave one final look towards him, watching as he settled himself onto the couch before leaving the main room and closing her bedroom door behind her. She settled down into her bed after changing into her pajamas. The day had been extremely long and drawn out. She had hoped to complete more homework than she had, but that changed quickly after the events that took place after school.

Immediately, feet and fists were pounding against the bed in frustration. "It doesn't make _any_ sense," she argued to herself. It didn't last long, and her small tantrum came to a hault. Her eyes shifted and began staring at the ceiling above her head. The ceiling held a gray color to it, thanks to how dark the room was from the night sky. The only light that illuminated into her room was from the moon and the street lamps. It left an ominous, beautiful color to her room, making her feel relaxed.

It hadn't even been a week of her returning home and things were already weird. It felt as though her and her friends would never catch a break. What would happen next? Would more former arrancars appear in this same state of.. _Lost?_

As she gazed at the ceiling, she could only be reminded of the walls in Hueco Mundo. Knowing Ulquorra was on the other side of her door, she felt some odd comfort, in a way she felt while staying in Las Noches. After some time from her stay in Las Noches, and him being one of the only visitors each day, she grew into a routine of expecting and even almost anticipating his arrivals to her solitude. But now things were different. She was no longer a prisoner and could do whatever she wanted. Even so, as she laid in her bed, drifting to sleep, her thoughts revolved around Ulquiorra's arrival to her room in the prison, bringing her food, and listening to her small rambles of questions before he left the room, no questions answered. Still, she found it comforting having had someone to listen to her, even if they didn't care.


End file.
